Do you have to feed...

...your vendors (band/dj, photographer) at the wedding?? Are they included in your head count - or does that depend on how the reception hall works it?

Re: Do you have to feed...

Yes, you should feed them.

They are included in your headcount, many halls offer a diso**** for vendors i.e half off of their meals.

Re: Do you have to feed...

yes you have to feed them...

many times your hall will give you discounted meals...b/c they don't get the whole dinner (appetizer, dessert, drinks)

Re: Do you have to feed...

at my hall you had to feed them (but I would have anyway - they need to eat too!). They were either $50pp or 50% the price of guests (I don't remember which but I know a 50 was invloved), and did not count toward the min.

Re: Do you have to feed...

I think it depends on the contract with the vendor. Some require it, some dont. If you do, remember that you are buying them dinner when figuring out their tips.

I would suggest feeding the photographer and the videographer since they will be with you all day long.

They are included in the head count. If you are above the minimum the hall would probably discount their plates.

Re: Do you have to feed...

(dumb question probably) do you reserve them seats at tables, or do they eat somewhere else in the hall? (dj probably eats behind his set up right?)

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Egad, that's 11 extra people to feed. I have to call the reception hall and find out if they're included in the final headcount.

Re: Do you have to feed...

You do not feed limo drivers and florists, however. Just photographer(s), videographer(s), DJ and emcee.

Re: Do you have to feed...

Yes.
I invited my limo drivers to coktail hour I loved them so much!!!!

Re: Do you have to feed...

WHERE do they eat??? at a table or somewhere else?

Re: Do you have to feed...

You should really feed them. It's a pretty long day to go without food when you think about it! Definitely negotiate a good price with your reception hall for the vendors. I was able to talk them down to $20 per head (from $98!) - that made a BIG difference since I have to feed 12 vendors. Not sure where they usually eat, but we're telling them where we want them to eat. We'll have tables for them in a different area.

Re: Do you have to feed...

Mine are 50% of the price per person. I am feeding the photographer and his asst, and the videographer. They are the vendors that will be there all day starting at 9:30 AM - I will also have some bagels and fruit for them in the AM.

I'm not feedind the band. They actually told us before we booked them that they do not expect it and would rather a better tip. If you think about it, for a day wedding the band will play from 2 - 6 (they don't play during the 1 - 2 cocktail hour but can eat there for free). At my job I always go for 4 hours with no food (and when I do go to lunch they don't pay for me!). I invited the band to the cocktail hour and thats it.

Re: Do you have to feed...

OK. Our hall charges $35 for each vendor-person...and they are not included in our pp final count. Our band told us they will not eat - it's also in our contract. Poor things, they're with us for 6 hours! We will feed our photographers.

Cool...thanks everyone!!!

Re: Do you have to feed...

We are feeding our vendors (2 video; 2 photo; 2 djs) at $35/pp.

Re: Do you have to feed...

yes, we fed all of our vendors. I think my hall charged us $50 each.

Re: Do you have to feed...

we're definitely feeding the photographer, his assistant, the video guy and the DJ and MC. for the photographer and video especially, it's going to be a 10-12 hour day - there's no way they can perform at their best if they are starving.

Re: Do you have to feed...

Yes, feed them if they are there for over 5 hours (i.e. we aren't feeding the string trio b/c they are only there 2 hours).

My hall does NOT include them, or children, in the headcount, but gives us a 70% discount on them.

Re: Do you have to feed...

my hall only gives me a 50% discount on vendor meals if I used house vendors which I did not..........

Re: Do you have to feed...

We're feeding them also. They are not included in the headcount UNLESS we don't make the minimum. If we don't make the min, we can use them to try to make our min.
If we do make our minimum, then we pay 50% for kids (for kids under 6 I think) and vendors.

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